Moving Day

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2018 President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump invited military mothers and spouses to the White House today in honor of Mothers Day, and the president signed an executive order to enable military spouses to find work more easily in the private and federal sectors.

Mother's Day, which is this Sunday, is celebrated just one time per year, the first lady said to the gathering in the White House East Room. Today, I want to take this opportunity to let you all know that as mothers who are members of the military community, you deserve recognition for not only your love for your children, but for the dedication and sacrifice you make on behalf of our country each and every day, she said.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently released a new online feature through the My HealtheVet portal that allows Veterans to access their medical images and associated study reports online.

Called VA Medical Images and Reports, the feature allows Veterans with a premium account to view, download and share copies of their radiology studies, such as X-rays, mammograms, MRIs and CTs, from the VA Electronic Health Record (EHR).

By Suzanna Brugler, NAVSUP GLS, Deputy, Office of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Supply Systems Command Global Logistics Support (NAVSUP GLS) Household Goods (HHG) provided information and moving tips directed toward Sailors and their families who will be executing a HHG move during the current peak season May 17.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Following passage of the 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the Navy announced today that Sailors should continue to expect to receive permanent change of station (PCS) orders with approximately two months or less lead time through the end of the fiscal year.

While the Navy will make every effort to ensure PCS orders are released as expeditiously as possible, the service does not have sufficient funds to allow for longer PCS orders lead times.

Air Force Veteran Christopher Bramblett has an appreciation for national parks and public lands that goes back to his youth. Members of his family were large National Park and public land supporters so he grew up hiking, camping, and spending time in the outdoors. Bramblett, resident of Ocean Springs, Miss., said his mom was also a seasonal park ranger and a Veteran (Air Force) as was his grandfather (WWII, Army), so in keeping with family tradition, he joined the armed forces.

Bramblett served 10 years in the Air Force. Using the GI bill, he started working toward his degree in U.S. history. The transition from military to civilian life wasn’t as smooth as he had hoped and soon Bramblett found himself in, as he describes it, a dark place.

Bradley served 10 years in the U.S. Army as a military police officer, but when he left, the civilian job market he found was less friendly than the one he remembered. Looking for a leg up, he visited an American Job Center in Las Vegas, where he received help updating his resume and determining how to present his military skills in a way that would appeal to potential employers. Soon, he was back to work as a regional representative in the Las Vegas office for Sen. Dean Heller.

Bradley is one of more than 800,000 veterans who get help at the Labor Department’s American Job Centers every year. One of the most important ways our Veterans’ Employment and Training Service supports transitioning military service members and their families is by ensuring a successful transition to a meaningful civilian career, once they have completed their time in service.

For example:· Have you never traveled beyond your immediate community?· Is the distance you have traveled limited to your state or just beyond?· Have you only traveled to "tourist destinations"?· Do you want to travel, but have not had the opportunity?

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- For service members interested in pursuing or continuing their education while on active duty, Navy tuition assistance (TA) is designed to help.

"Two of the questions we get asked most often are 'How do I get started with my education?' and 'How do I pay for it?'," said Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center Voluntary Education (VOLED) Program Director Ernest D'Antonio. "The answers are easy. 1) Start with the Navy College Program (NCP) website or Virtual Education Center (VEC), and 2) Talk with your Navy College Education Counselor to ensure TA eligibility, and 3) Apply."

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNS) -- The Navy's 7th Annual Veteran and Wounded Warrior Hiring and Support Summit will offer workshops, career resources, and hiring opportunities Wednesday May 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport in Seattle.

The summit will provide active duty, veterans and Wounded Warriors with an opportunity to speak with more than 65 employers from the Navy, government, and commercial hiring managers, offering jobs and careers in the Pacific Northwest and around the country.

U.S. military and Philippine Army engineers at Don Carlos Elementary School have worked nonstop for the past month to build not only a new classroom for local children, but also friendships that will last for years to come.

Despite sweltering heat and torrential downpours, curious children and villagers passing by might not have been able to tell how tired and exhausted military engineers were when they gathered as friends to laugh and smile.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) is partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to host its second annual Great Navy Campout June 24-Sept. 3.

Sailors and their family members are encouraged to take this fun, summer-long camping pledge and enjoy some of nature's most scenic campsites on Navy installations, which can offer soaring mountain views, pristine beaches, and crystal-clear lakes. The Great Navy Campout coincides with the National Wildlife Federation's Great American Campout, and aims to inspire participants of all levels to hit the trail and get active.

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to multiple schools. Now you need to determine which schools are most affordable so you can factor school cost into your decision. If you listed a school on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and have been offered admission by that school, the school’s financial aid office will send you a financial aid offer. The amounts and types of aid you’re offered will likely vary from school to school, so it’s important to compare your financial aid offers. Here are a few tips and resources to make understanding and comparing your financial aid offers easier.

The birth of a baby is a life-changing event that can trigger all kinds of emotions from happiness and joy to jitters and fear. It can also lead to something you might not expect - postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression - a depression that occurs after having a baby - is the most common complication of giving birth. It affects one in seven new mothers. Left untreated, postpartum depression can have long-lasting negative results, harming the health of new mothers, their babies, and their families.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's science, technology, engineering and mathematics outreach program reaches students from kindergarten to college.

Knocking down a stack of blocks, then backing up to switch directions, a robot effortlessly moves around a local school as a group of children watch and wait for their turn to operate the remote control. The children marvel at the hodgepodge of whirring motors, nuts and bolts, the culmination of their hard work in a STEM robotics competition.

Editor’s Note: Air Force Col. Aaron “Chewy” Burgstein wrote this unpublished commentary in the fall of 2014 while undergoing medical treatment for a brain tumor. He unfortunately passed away on Jan. 27, 2015. In recognition of Military Spouses Appreciation Day on May 21 and Memorial Day on May 31, Air Force News is publishing Col. Burgstein’s commentary in remembrance of his contributions to Air Force Public Affairs and as a reminder of the timeless contributions made by military spouses every day around the world.

In my nearly 20 years of military service, I have moved 12 times. It is more frequent than most service members, but yet not that unusual. Along the way in my career, I picked up a spouse. She has moved a total of nine times in our 13 years of marriage. Our children are just breaking into double digits and they have moved six times.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., May 11, 2017 — The 325th Force Support Squadron and the base Family Readiness Center gave military children the opportunity to experience what their parents go through when they deploy overseas during the annual Jr. Raptor deployment experience event held May 6 at the Tyndall Youth Center and Silver Flag Field here.

Jr. Raptor is a program that has been going on for over a decade, benefiting military children by providing educational and hands-on activities with what some of their parents do to support the Tyndall mission.

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2017 - With military children gathered around him, Vice President Mike Pence saluted military families at an event at the White House yesterday.

"We're grateful that you're here at the White House today," Pence said. "We hope you leave here today with your hearts full of the assurance that the American people are grateful for those who serve in uniform and just as grateful for the families who stand by their side."

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean J. Stackley released All Navy Message (ALNAV) 021/17, April 18, which updated Navy regulations, making it unlawful to share an intimate image of someone without his or her permission for personal gain or to humiliate, harm, harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce the depicted person or with reckless disregard of harm to the victim.

The new regulation "serves to underscore leadership's commitment to eliminating degrading behaviors that erode trust and weaken the Navy and Marine Corps team," Chief of Information Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler said in a statement. "It provides commanders another tool to maintain good order and discipline by holding Sailors and Marines accountable for inappropriate conduct in the nonconsensual sharing of intimate imagery."

New program created to recognize employer efforts in supporting the veteran community

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will establish the HIRE Vets Medallion Program to recognize employers who recruit, retain, and employ veterans, and who offer charitable services in support of the veteran community. The department is establishing the program under the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, or HIRE Vets Act. President Donald J. Trump signed the act into law today.

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AFNS) -- For the first time, Gold Star Base Access ID cards were issued to three family members of fallen Airmen at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 1, 2017.

These cards are part of an Air Force initiative allowing Gold Star families unescorted access to Air Force installations to visit buried loved ones, attend base events and stop by Airmen and Family Readiness Centers for immediate and long-term emotional support.

"Our military retirees are entitled to many HHG benefits that they might otherwise not be aware of, or might not even consider, as they contemplate how they will spend the next chapter of their lives after a career of honorable Naval service," said Deborah McGlennon, NAVSUP GLS HHG program manager.

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2017 — The Defense Department has rescinded its 2016 policy allowing military service academy and ROTC athletes to be recruited directly into professional sports, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White announced yesterday.

"Our military academies exist to develop future officers who enhance the readiness and the lethality of our military services," White said in a written statement. "Graduates enjoy the extraordinary benefit of a military academy education at taxpayer expense."

WASHINGTON -- Heads of military centers and programs targeting post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury in service members and their families reported progress Friday in the timely recognition and treatment of these and related health conditions.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee's military personnel subcommittee on Defense Department clinical research and program assessment for PTSD and TBI were Navy Capt. (Dr.) Mike Colston, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, and Air Force Col. (Dr.) Steven Pflanz, deputy director of psychological health for the Air Force.

WASHINGTON — Nearly 800 Veterans of age 55 and older will join volunteers and rehabilitative professionals from across the country for the 31st National Veterans Golden Age Games, scheduled May 7-11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

This annual competition organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and supported by national sponsor Veterans Canteen Service, is the only national multi-event sports and recreational senior competition aimed at improving the quality of life for all older Veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities as a senior adaptive rehabilitation program.

By Kat Bailey, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs April 27, 2017

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- Female Airmen now have up to 12 months after having a baby to request separation from the service under the Air Force's new Diversity and Inclusion initiative.

This policy change, effective April 26, 2017, gives female Airmen more time to better understand and assess how they can balance a military career and family needs, ensuring they have the opportunity to contribute to mission success.

Happy Military Appreciation Month! All military personnel face tough challenges when readjusting to civilian life upon retirement, which, for the average officer, happens at age 47. Recognizing their brave sacrifices, especially those of our fallen heroes this coming Memorial Day, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2016’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees (https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-military-retirees/3915/).

ARLINGTON, Va., May 30, 2016 — It is peaceful at Arlington National Cemetery [ http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/?source=GovDelivery ] with impeccably cared-for grounds and row after row of headstones seeming to march down to the Potomac.

It is a shrine that Americans visit each day to see and touch and be moved -- by the precise steps of the sentry at the Tomb of the Unknowns or the sight of a horse-drawn caisson taking another fallen service member to rest.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 12, 2016 For medically retired Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ronnie Jeffrey Jimenez, competing in the hand cycle H4 disability category time trial and criterium cycling competition was more about finishing than medaling at the 2016 Invictus Games this week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World here.

More than 500 wounded, ill and injured service members from 14 nations are competing in 10 sporting events, cheered on by family members, friends and other spectators.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 11, 2016 Medically retired Army Sgt. Monica Mo Southall defended her title by earning gold medals in the womens shot put and discus at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World during the 2016 Invictus Games here.

I was defending my title, and they knew that. So they were coming for me, but I pulled it off again, so Im happy, she said.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 12, 2016 USA Team captain medically retired Army Capt. Will Reynolds earned multiple medals during the 2016 Invictus Games held this week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World here.

Throughout the week, more than 500 wounded, ill and injured service members from 14 nations have been competing in 10 sporting events as thousands of family members, friends and spectators cheered them on.

Army Nurse Takes Pride in Representing Team USA at Invictus Games By Shannon Collins DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ORLANDO, Fla., Ma. 10, 2016 Fierce competitor Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger will participate in track and field, swimming and rowing at the 2016 Invictus Games being held this week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World here.

During the 2014 Invictus Games, Elmlingers first foray into the competition, she earned gold medals in the 100-meter and 400-meter wheelchair races, the shot put, and in the cycling time trial; silver medals in discus during track and field, the cycling road race, and the 50-meter backstroke in swimming. She took fourth place in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle in swimming.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 10, 2016 Great Britains Prince Harry, former President George W. Bush, and service members from each of their nations led a discussion at the 2016 Invictus Games Symposium on Invisible Wounds presented May 8 by the George W. Bush Institute here.

Former First Lady Laura Bush said she and the Bush Institute leadership were grateful the symposium was addressing an issue that affects so many veterans, as well as their family members, many of whom become their caregivers.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 9, 2016 Under sunny, clear-blue skies, more than 500 wounded, ill and injured athletes from 14 nations gathered for the opening ceremonies of the 2016 Invictus Games here yesterday.

The Invictus Games are an international Paralympic-style, multisport event created by Great Britains Prince Harry in 2014 after he saw the Warrior Games in the United States. He wanted to demonstrate the power of sports to inspire recovery, support service members rehabilitation and to demonstrate that there is life beyond their disability.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., May 4, 2015 - A nonprofit organization geared toward helping military families -- especially expectant mothers whose spouses are often away fulfilling their duties got a boost from the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at a special event here yesterday.

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 - Military families using fitness centers and respite day care through the Armed Services YMCA will be able to continue their memberships until March of next year, a morale, welfare and recreation program official said yesterday.

MRW program analyst Chris Wright said the Military Outreach Initiative, a five-year contract between the Defense Department and the Armed Services YMCA, was set to expire recently, but it has been extended to March 17, 2015.

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2014 - A senior Pentagon leader highlighted the rights and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families in her keynote remarks at the American Military Partner Association's inaugural National Gala Dinner here yesterday.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Rosemary Freitas Williams described the Defense Department's efforts in maintaining the readiness and resilience of its military, which she said is "bolstered by the strength of its families."

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2014 - To recognize military spouses' selfless service and sacrifice, First Lady Michelle Obama invited a group of military wives and family members to the annual Mother's Day Tea at the White House today.

Joined by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and as part of their Joining Forces initiative, Obama and Biden thanked the spouses and families for their service to the nation.

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2014 - President Barack Obama has proclaimed May 9, 2014 as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

The Presidential statement reads:

Our military spouses embody ideals we cherish: strength, loyalty, and commitment. They stand beside those who stand behind our flag, giving their all and making tremendous sacrifices. They shoulder the burdens of countless moves and stressful deployments, and they uphold their end of the bargain. On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we celebrate the force behind the force and show these homefront heroes the full support of a grateful Nation.

My Administration is working to fulfill our sacred obligation to our veterans, service members, their spouses, and their families. We are helping military families avoid foreclosure and predatory lending, and we are investing in their education. We are easing burdens by supporting childcare and assisting with career training. And because our men and women in uniform and their spouses are partners not only in love, but also in law, we are doing everything we can to ensure all married couples receive the benefits they deserve -- regardless of their sexual orientation.

Through the Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are expanding employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, and their spouses while advocating for new legislation to bolster professional development services. And they are forging stronger connections between military and civilian families and engaging us all in the push to give military families the opportunities, resources, and support they have earned -- not only today, but every day. To learn more and get involved, visit www.JoiningForces.gov.

As service members board planes for deployments to foreign lands, they need to know their country will be there for their loved ones. As mothers and fathers take on the work of two, they need to know their neighbors will lend a hand. And if called to make the ultimate sacrifice, troops must know their Nation will honor their memory and care for their family. After everything military spouses have done for America, for one another, for our wounded warriors and the families of the fallen, we must stand beside them. We must make good on our debt of gratitude. May each of us serve our military spouses and their families as well as they serve us.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 9, 2014, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I call upon the people of the United States to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 - The USO and the nonprofit organization Full Circle Home teamed up May 2 to assemble Mother's Day care packages for military moms and other sustainers on the homefront.

The service project, hosted by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, was held at the vice presidential residence, where Dr. Biden joined USO volunteers and staff members, congressional spouses and others to assemble the packages.

"JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas" - Summer is just around the corner and it won't be long before the kids get bored. Head them off at the pass with adventures and activities hosted by your local library.

Air Force libraries have launched the summer reading program, "Have Book - Will Travel!" and are planning a host of activities for children, teens and adults designed to encourage the love of reading. Program participants can also win prizes for reaching their reading goals, said Margie Buchanan, Air Force Personnel Center libraries branch chief.

I am looking for volunteers, over 18 years old, to complete surveys on their experiences with being the spouse of a National Guard or Reserve service member who deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn.

As a participant in this survey, you would be asked to recall some experiences related to your life while the service member was deployed and answer a few questions about them. You can also participate if your spouse is currently deployed.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 22, 2013 - Students, teachers and parents of the Defense Department's schools can be confident that despite the department's upcoming civilian furloughs, the school year will start on time, the Department of Defense Education Activity's director said today.

DODEA operates schools overseas and at some U.S. locations for the children of military families.

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2013 - During the busy season of military transfers, adjusting to new communities and registering children for school, more than 2,000 museums across the nation will open their doors, free of charge, to service members and their families as a break from the summer challenges, a Defense Department official said today.

>From Memorial Day, May 27, through Labor Day, Sept. 2, all active duty service members, National Guardsmen and reservists and their families can take advantage of this cultural and educational opportunity in all 50 states.

ARLINGTON, Va., May 21, 2013 - Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are assisting with victim search and security today in Moore, Okla., where a monster tornado left at least 51 dead, including 20 children, authorities said.

The twister hit yesterday about 3:15 p.m. CDT, when children were still in two elementary schools in the Oklahoma City suburb.

and I am a research specialist at the VA Medical Center in Memphis, TN. We are currently recruiting spouses for our Spouse Deployed program which is funded by the Department of Defense and the Memphis VAMC. We are trying to spread the word about our program and were wondering if you might be able to post our information or forward it on to any spouses you think might benefit from our study. It's a year-long research study for military spouses or significant others from any military branch across the country. The service member must currently be deployed for the spouse to participate. The purpose is to evaluate the benefits of a Telephone Support Group and Education Sessions designed to help with deployment concerns. Spouses will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, was recently accounted for and will be buried along with the 12 other servicemen who were lost in the same crash.

USCG News

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